The only player of Team India who has played for India as well as England has a special connection with Bollywood
Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi Biography: There have been many big players in the history of cricket, but there is also a name that has played Test cricket for both India and England. This is a special identity of Pataudi’s senior Nawab Iftikhar Ali Khan. Not only this, he also has a special connection with Bollywood.
If it started like this, Iftikhar Ali Khan’s journey with England team
Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi studied at ARISN College in Lahore and Beliol College in Oxford. He was selected in the England team for the 1932-33 famous bodyline series. Like Ranjit Singhji and Dalip Singhji, he also scored a brilliant century on the Sydney Cricket Ground in the Ashes series, which was also his first Test.
But interestingly, despite this century, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi was dropped from the team after the next match. He is said to have not agreed with England captain Douglas Jardine’s bodyline strategy. That is why he left the tour and returned to his country before the series was over.
Return for England and then Indian captain
He was called back to the England team for another Test against Australia in 1934, which was his last cricket match for the country for another Test against Australia in 1934 due to the impressive performance of Iftikhar Ali Khan for Worsteringher in the 1933 and 1934 English season.
Several months later, iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi was appointed as the captain of the Indian team just before the 1936 tour of England. The idea was that he could see the players in the Winter Series against the Jack Rider -led Australian team and choose the team of his choice, but their plan failed in February, citing Pataudi not being fully fit.
Ten years later, Iftikhar Ali Khan finally led the Indian team in England in 1946, although it was not a very thoughtful step. At that time, 36 -year -old Pataudi was out of his form and played very little first class cricket in the last few years. Iftikhar Ali Khan scored about a thousand runs on the tour and showed a rare glimpse of the past by scoring a century against Northamptonshire and Sussex. But his average in the Test was just 11 runs, in which India lost 1-0 and due to poor health he had to retire soon.
On 5 January 1952, Yftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi died on 5 January 1952. The special thing was that the same day was the birthday of his son Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi. Iftikhar Ali Khan’s life was very special and different in both inside and outside the field.
Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi’s special connection to Bollywood
Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi’s association with Bollywood is through his son Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi (Tiger Pataudi), who himself was one of the greatest cricket captains in India. Mansoor Ali Khan married famous Bollywood actress Sharmila Tagore, causing the Pataudi family to come directly into the film world. In such a situation, Saif Ali Khan’s grandfather Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi was there. In this way, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi’s family became a prestigious name not only in cricket but also in Indian cinema.
